Sorting apparatus for documents



Feb. 24, 1970 J. R. CALDWELL T 3, 7

SORTING APPARATUS FOR DOCUMENTS Filed Jan. 24, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 F6. 2 JOHN R. XK EWE'Ei JAMES R. CASSANO A T T ORNE VS Feb. 24, 1910 v J.R. CALDWELL ETAL SGRTING APPARATUS FOR DOCUMENTS Filed Jan. 24, 1968 5Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 6

INVENTORS JOHN R. CALDWELL JAMES R. CASSANO M fi/M T TORNEYS Feb. 24,1970 Filed Jan. 24, 1968 J. R. CALDWELL ET-AL Somme APPARATUS FORDOCUMENTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS JOHN R. CALDWELL JAMES RCASSANO ATTORNE KS Feb. 24, 1970 J. R. CALDWELL F SORTING APPARATUS FOR DOCUMENTS5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 24. 1968 s s WW5 R vw 0 N A T T MR fl /M N 4mm M J v Y L B United States Patent 3,497,207 SORTING APPARATUS FORDOCUMENTS John R. Caldwell and James R. Cassano, Rochester, N.Y.,

assignors to Xerox Corporation, Rochester, N.Y., a

corporation of New York Filed Jan. 24, 1968, Ser. No. 700,051 Int. Cl.B65h 29/58 US. Cl. 271-64 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatusfor sorting documents having document receiving trays that are bothinclined upwardly and titled sideways; document transport means forfeeding documents upwardly into selected ones of said trays, saiddocuments being adapted to move backwardly across said trays toward thelower sides of said trays; and document registering .means in the pathof backward document movement and engageable with adjoining lower edgesof the documents to stop document movement while placing the adjoininglower edges of the documents in each tray in common registry with oneanother.

This invention relates to an apparatus for sorting documents, and moreparticularly, to a high speed modular type apparatus for both sortingand registering documents.

Document sorters provide in effect a plurality of alternate documentroutes or paths to individual document receptacles or trays whereby thedocuments may be separated from one another in the maner desired.Inasmuch as the time required by the sorter to handle documents isdirectly related to the speed at which documents move through thesorter, high document speed are necessary if sorter operating time is tobe minimized. Additionally, where the sorter input comprises a highspeed document generating .machine such as a copier, the speed of thesorter must at least match that of the input machine if the fullpotential of the input machine is to be realized.

Where documents such as paper sheets are to be sorted, high sorterspeeds with corresponding high document velocities are difficult tomaintain. As can be appreciated, these types of documents aresusceptible to bending, buckling, tearing, etc. These failings, whichare exaggerated by increased document velocities, have rendereddevelopment of reliable high speed document sorters diflicult.

Where the documents to be sorted are of random size, it is usuallydesired that the sorter, in addition to separating and sorting thedocuments, also size or register the sorter documents with one anotherto facilitate subsequent handling and use thereof. The added burden inrequiring the sorter to register as well as sort documents at high speedhas increased the difliculty of developing a reliable high speed sorter.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved apparatus for sorting documents.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a high speedapparatus to both sort and size documents.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a document sorterhaving an improved document receiving receptacle facilitating high speedsorter operation and inice corporating means to automatically registerat least one edge of each document in the receptacle.

This invention relates to a high speed apparatus for sorting documentscomprising in combination a plurality of spaced tray-like documentreceiving receptacles, the receptacles being parallel with one anotherand inclined upwardly; document transport means adjacent the lower sideof the receptacles adapted to feed documents upward- 1y into thereceptacles, the documents moving first in a substantially upwarddirection in the receptacles under the inpetus of the conveyor means andthereafter moving in a substantially downward direction in thereceptacles under the influence of gravity; and document regis teringmeans for the receptacles adapted to place at least one edge of thedocuments in each of the receptacles in common registry, the documentregistering means including a document stop arranged in the path ofdownward document movement and engageable with the one document edge tostop document movement and register the document.

I ,Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the ensuingdescription and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of the document sorting apparatus of thepresent invention showing primary and secondary sorter modules;

FIGURE 2 is an end view with parts broken away of a sorter module;

FIGURE 3 is an end view showing the document input transport of theprimary sorter module;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view with parts broken away showing the documentdeflector mechuism of the sorting apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view with parts broken away of the documentguide means of the sorting apparatus shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 6 is a schematic view of the control arrangement for the sortingapparatus shown in FIGURE 1. Referring particularly to FIGURE I of thedrawings there is shown the document sorting apparatus 10 of the presentinvention. In the exemplary showing of the drawings, sorting apparatus10 includes series connected primary and secondary sorter modules 12,1-4, respectively, arranged to receive documents to be sorted from asuitable document producing apparatus such as a copying machine (notshown). The document input to sorting apparatus 10 normally comprisesconventional paper sheets usually rectangular in shape and of varioussize, weight, and thickness. Other types of documents such as film,cards, etc. are, however, contemplated.

It will be understood that secondary sorter module 14 may be omitted or,alternately, additional secondary sorter modules 14 may be added toobtain requisite sorter capacity.

Sorter modules 12, 14 each have a document transfer section 15 and aseparating or receiving section 16. In primary sorter module 12,transfer section 15 includes input transport 18 for receiving documentsdischarged by the document producing apparatus with which sortingdischarge transport 22. In the secondary sorter module apparatus 10 isused, intermediate transport 20, and '14, input transport 18 is omitted,documents entering sorter module 14 at the bottom thereof betweenintermediate transport conveyor 54 and pinch rolls 34.

Separating section 16 includes a plurality of upwardly inclined trays orreceptacles 24 for receiving and holding documents. As will appear morefully, trays 24 are canted slightly to enhance document registration.

Referring particularly to FIGURES l and 2, sorter modules 12, 14 eachinclude a base 25, top 26, plural side frame members 27 at one end, andside wall 28 at the opposite end thereof. Cross members 29 projectbetween frame members 30 and wall 28 parallel to and slightly above base26. Additional frame members 30 extend parallel to frame members 27between cross members 25 and top 26. To facilitate moving sorter modules12, 14 wheels 31 may be attached to base 25 thereof. Referring toFIGURES 1 and 3, input transport 18 of primary sorter module 12comprises a belt type conveyor 33 with cooperating pinch rolls 34.Conveyor 33 includes plural feed belts 36 supported on rolls 37. Rolls37 are carried by shafts 38 journaled in sides 40 of conveyor 33.Conveyor sides 40 may be suitably secured to pinch roll side supports 42which in turn are secured to module frame members 27, 30. Roll carryingshaft 38' is extended to carry conveyor drive pulley 44. Drive belt 45operably connects motor 46 with pulley 44 to drive conveyor 33.

Pinch rolls 34 are releasably held in contact with conveyor feed belts36 at spaced points along the working surfaces thereof by wire-likemembers 49 supported on cross legs 48.

Finger-like document deflectors 52 are supported on shaft 53 journaledfor limited rotation in sides 40 of .conveyor 33. Deflectors 52, when inraised position route documents downwardly to intermediate transportconveyor 54.

Intermediate transport 20 includes a belt type conveyor 54 withcooperating pinch rolls 34 spaced along the outer downwardly moving sideand at the base thereof, and cooperating pinch rollers 57 spaced alongthe inner upwardly moving side thereof. Conveyor 54 includes rollsupport shafts 61 journaled in sides 60 of conveyor 54. Rolls 62 onshafts 61 support conveyor feed belts 63. Lower shaft 61 of conveyor 54is extended and drive pulley 64 is mounted thereon. Drive belt 65connects pulley 64 with motor 66. 9

Outer pinch rolls 34 for conveyor 54 are arranged, in slot-like openings68 in longitudinal channels 69. Rolls 34 are resiliently held andjournaled in contact with feed belts 63 by means of support members 49attached to frame cross legs 71. Channels 69 are curved at 69' todefine, in cooperation with feed belts 63 a transition path to turn thedocuments carried by conveyor 54 from a vertical to a horizontaldirection. The upper portions of channels 69 are curved at 69". Curvedchannel portions 69 cooperate with deflectors 52 when depressed to forma transition path for routing documents from input conveyor 33 toconveyor 54.

Lower pinch rolls 34, which contact belts 63 of intermediate conveyor 54adjacent the bottom thereof are similarly journaled by members 49attached to discharge transport frame 86.

Inner pinch rollers 57 are rotatably supported in document guides 74adjacent the inlet to each document tray 24. As will appear more fully,rollers 57, which are biased and journaled into contact with belts 63 byspring members 120 (FIG. cooperate with deflectors 80 to route documentsinto document trays 24.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 1 and 4, movable finger-likedeflectors 73 are provided adjacent the bottom of conveyor 54 to controlthe routing of documents into separating section 16 or onto dischargetransport 22 for transport to a subsequent sorter module. Deflectors 73are carried by shaft 75 journaled for limited rotation in frame support86. Deflectors 73, when raised (the solid line position shown in FIGURES1 and 4 of the drawings), route documents carried by conveyor 54upwardly to module separating section 16. When depressed, deflectors 73permit documents carried by conveyor 54 to pass onto discharge conveyor79.

Discharge transport 22 includes a belt type conveyor 79 and cooperatingpinch rolls 34. Discharge transport 22 is disposed between base 25 andcross members 29. Shafts 84, journaled in sides of conveyor 79, carrysupport rolls 83 for feed belts 87. Pinch rolls 34 are rotatablysupported in contact with feed belts 87 of conveyor 79 at spaced pointsalong the working surface thereof by supports 49 attached to frame 86.

One roll support shaft 84 of conveyor 79 is extended and drive pulley 94is secured thereto. Drive belt 65 drives pulley 94 from motor 66.

Document trays 24, which may be formed from a suitable sheet-likematerial, are substantially rectangular in shape with one side 93upturned. As will be more apparent hereinafter, side 93 serves as both adocument stop and register.

Trays 24 are supported at one end in document guides 74 while the otherend is attached to Wall 28.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 2 and 5 of the drawings, documentguides 74 comprises a trough-like part suitably secured to frame members30 in parallel spaced relation to one another. The inside wall 95 ofeach guide 74 has an inclined slot-like opening 97 therethrough adjacentthe lower portion thereof adapted to receive the lower end of documenttray 24. As will appear more fully documents are fed between adjacentguides 74 onto trays 24, Wall 95 of guides 74 serving both as a documentstop to prevent documents from sliding backwardly out of trays 24 and asa document register.

Wall 95 of guides 74 has a plurality of spaced fingers 99 projectingtherefrom. Document deflectors 80, mounted on shafts 81 are arrangedadjacent each tray 24. Deflector support shafts 81 are journaled forlimited rotation in sides 60 of conveyor 54. Deflectors 80, when movedto a document intercepting position, cooperate with fingers 99 and pinchrollers 57 to route documents through the space between adjacent guides74 into the tray 24 associated therewith. The uppermost deflectors 80,which are fixed in a document intercepting position route any documentremaining on conevyor 54 into the tray 24" associated therewith toobviate possible carryover of documents by conveyor 54.

Document trays '24, which are arranged in parallel spaced relation toone another, are inclined upwardly. Documents in trays 24 accordinglytend to slide backwardly into registering abutment with wall 95 of theguides 74.

The angle of inclination of trays 24 is critical to the successfuloperation of sorter apparatus 10, it being understood that where theangle of inclination is too great, the documents, which are normallysheet paper, may sag or buckle, or may not completely pass betweenguides 74 into the trays. Where, however, the angle of inclination istoo small, documents may not slide sufliciently to contact the guide 74and registration is not completed.

The velocity at which documents are fed into trays 24, static electriccharges on the documents themselves which tend to cause the documents tostick to one another, and the weight of the documents also affect thechoice of tray angle inclination.

To forestall document sag and buckling while assuring documentregistration at relatively high document velocities, trays 24 areinclined at an angle of substantially 35 to the horizontal. Trays 24 areadditionally tilted or canted downwardly in a plane substantiallyperpendicular to the plane of tray inclination toward upstanding side93. Documents fed onto trays 24 accordingly tend to move angularlyacross trays 24, first in a generally upward direction under the impetusof conveyor 54 and thereafter is a generally downward direction underthe influence of gravity until the lower side and bottom edges of thedocument contact side 93 of tray 24 and guide 74, respectively. Throughthis arrangement, an adjacent side and bottom edge of the documents ineach tray are brought into common registration with one another.

Solenoids 102, 103- are provided to move deflectors 52, 73,respectively, solenoid 102 serving when energized to rotate shaft 53 anddepress deflectors 52 while solenoid 103 serves, when energized torotate shaft 75 and raise deflectors 73.

Referring particularly to FIGURE 4 of the drawings shafts 81 carryingdeflectors 80 are each provided with a suitable rotation limiting means,as for example, slot and pin means 105, 106, respectively. Springs 108bias shafts 81 in a counterclockwise direction as seen in FIGURE 4 tohold deflectors 80 thereof retracted. Solenoids 110 serve, whenenergized, to rotate the shaft 81 associated therewith in a clockwisedirection against the bias of spring 108 to place deflectors 80 thereofin a document intercepting position Seen in FIGURE 4. Slot and pin means105, 106 cooperate to limit rotation of deflectors 80 to a predeterminedarc.

Referring to FIGURE 6 of the drawings, document sorter apparatus 10 maybe controlled by means of a suitable programmer 115 selectivelyadjustable by the operator to obtain desired document sorting.Programmer 115 controls, through suitable circuitry (not shown)operation of motors 46, 66 and solenoids 102, 103 and 110.

With programmer 115 preset to obtain desired document sorting, motors46, 66 are energized to drive input transport 18, and intermediate anddischarge transports 20, 22 respectively. It is understood that whereone or more secondary sorter modules 14 are employed, programmer 115energizes the intermediate and discharge transport drive motor 66thereof.

Motor 46 preferably drives input transport 18 at a speed which issubtsantially equal to the velocity at which documents are discharged bythe machine with which sorting apparatus 10 is used to facilitatetransfer of documents to the sorting apparatus 10. Motor 66 preferablydrives intermediate transport 20 and discharge transport 22 at therelatively high design speed of sorting apparatus 10, which is normallygreater than the speed at which input transport 18 is driven. Thisarrangement facilitates coupling of sorting apparatus 10 with documentproducing machines of various types and speeds by requiring only thatthe speed of input transport 18 be changed as needed to match theoperational speed of the machine with which sorting apparatus 10 isused.

With operation of transports 18, 20, 22 of sorter module 12, inputtransport 18 carries documents into the sorter module. Where documentsare not sorted, programmer 115 holds solenoid 102 inoperative anddeflectors 52 thereof retracted. Transport 18 accordingly carries thedocuments to unsorted document tray 24.

To sort documents in module 12 or in secondary sorter module or modules14, programmer 115 triggers solenoid 102 whereby deflectors 52 are moveddownwardly to a document intercepting position to route documentscarried by input transport 18 onto intermediate transport conveyor 54.Documents are accordingly carried by belts 63 of conveyor 54 downwardlytoward base 25 of module 12.

To feed documents to secondary module 14, programmer 115 holds solenoid103 inoperative and deflectors 73 thereof retracted. Documents carriedby conveyor 54 accordingly fed onto discharge transport conveyor 79which in turn carries the documents from module 12 to the adjoiningsorter module 14.

To sort documents in module 12, programmer 115 triggers solenoid 103 toraise deflectors 73 and route documents carried by conveyor 54 upwardlytrays 24 of separating section 16 thereof. Solenoids 110 areindividually triggered by programmer 115 to temporarily move thedeflectors 80 associated therewith into a document intercepting positionwhereby an individual or series of documents may be routed from conveyor54 into a selected tray 24. It is understood that on termination of thetriggering signal from programmer 115, the

actuated-deflectors are retracted by spring 108. Where solenoids 110 areinoperative, fixed deflectors routes documents from conveyor 54 intotray 24".

Where additional sorter modules are employed, the document deflectors 80thereof are similarly regulated by programmer 115 to obtain desiredsorting of the documents therewithin.

Due to the downward cant or tilt of document trays 24, documents fedupwardly onto trays 24 by conveyor 54 tend to move or skew angularlyacross the tray until the document side edge abuts upturned tray side93. Because of the upward inclination of trays 24, the impetus impartedto the documents by conveyor 54 dissipates and the documents thereafterslide in a downward direction upwardly across the tray until thedocument trailing edge contacts document guide wall 95. The sidewayscomponent of document movement, due to the downward cant of trays 24,tends to urge the downwardly moving document toward upturned tray side93. It is understood that following contact of the document side edgewith tray side 93, the document may continue to move downwardly withinthe tray until the trailing edge thereof abuts wall of guide 74. By thisarrangement, both the lower or trailing edge and adjoining side edge ofdocuments in each tray 24 are automatically brought into commonregistration with one another.

In applications where module 12 only is employed or where secondarysorter module 14 comprises the last module, programmer maintainssolenoid 103 thereof energized and deflectors 73 thereof raised toprevent documents from being ejected by the discharge transport 22thereof.

While we have described and illustrated herein a preferred form of ourinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changesand modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spiritand intent thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a high speed apparatus for sorting documents, the combination of aplurality of spaced tray-like document receiving receptacles,

said receptacles being parallel with one another and inclined upwardly;

document transport means adjacent the lower side of said receptaclesadapted to feed documents upwardly into said receptacles,

said documents moving first in a substantially upward direction in saidreceptacles under the impetus of said transport means and thereaftermoving in a substantially downward direction in said receptacles underthe influence of gravity;

and document registering means for said receptacles adapted to place atleast one edge of the documents in each of said receptacles in commonregistry, said document registering means including a document stoparranged in the path of said downward document movement and engageablewith said one document edge to stop document movement and register saiddocument.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which each of said receptaclesis tilted downwardly along an axis substantially transverse to the axisof said receptacle inclination whereby documents fed into saidreceptacles are adapted to move angularly across said receptacles insaid substantially upward and downward directions, said documentregistering means including a second document stop engageable with asecond document edge to stop sideways movement of documents in saidreceptacles while bringing the second edge of documents in each of saidreceptacles into common registry, said document second edge adjoiningsaid document first edge.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which each of said receptaclesinclude a base portion, said first mentioned document stop comprising anupstanding wall section at the document inlet end of said receptaclebase, said transport means being adapted to impel documents over andbeyond said upstanding wall section onto said receptacle base wherebymovement of said documents in said substantially downward directionbrings the trailing edge of said documents into registering contact withsaid upstand- 5 ing wall section.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 in which said second document stopcomprises an upstanding wall section forming the lower side edge of saidreceptacle base.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said receptacles areinclined upwardly at an angle of substantially 35.

EDWARD A. SROKA, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

